Eczema is a very common crippling disease. There are no small means to attenuate the repercussions and the regular use of emollient, between the attacks which characterize this chronic affection, is fundamental.

Eczema is characterized by redness and itching. Sometimes small blisters form on the affected surfaces. It is a disabling condition, especially since the disease may have started very early. Infants and children can be affected: it is atopic dermatitis.

It is therefore a chronic disease and it evolves in flare-ups. Flare-ups should be treated medically (local or general treatment) but between flare-ups the use of emollients can be of great help.

It is important to list the type of eczema you have. Indeed, emollients exist in several forms and are indicated precisely for each type of eczema. It is very easy to choose the right one because the indication is written on the product packaging.

• Let’s come back to atopic dermatitis, which affects 1 in 10 children from the age of 3 months. Emollients can be used in infants between outbreaks but also at the beginning of small itchy and tight redness. A simple hydration of the face or the body brings an appreciable soothing;
• There are contact eczemas caused by the presence of allergens (metals in jewelry and watches, perfumes, nail polish, etc.): patients learn quite easily to avoid them;
• Chronic contact eczema ends up cracking the skin, which thickens, darkens, and cracks can appear in the hands and feet;
• Finally, misting thermal water can soothe the itchy skin.

Emollients (from the Latin emollire to soften) are a substance that moisturizes, softens and softens the skin. They come in the form of:

• Tree;
• Ointments;
• Oils;
• Creams;
• Emulsions ;
• Milk.

The use of an emollient between eczema outbreaks limits both their frequency and their intensity.

In this list, the drier the skin the more the choice is made towards the top of this list.

The emollient:

• improves the condition of the skin;
• fight against excessive evaporation and therefore against drought;
• protects the skin from external aggressions and thus strengthens its “barrier” function;
• limit the number, frequency and intensity of relapses.

Finally, the emollient is the basic treatment for eczema.

Emollients “display” their properties: textures are variable. The richest are cerates and balms. The lightest are creams and milks. The choice is made on the degree of dryness of the skin, on the season and on the desires of the day (we do not always want to “spread” in the same way). We choose products containing as few ingredients as possible, fragrance-free and non-allergenic. However, it must contain water, agents which capture water in the skin and capable of producing an impermeable film against, finally, fatty substances improving the cohesion of the cells, restoring the elasticity of the skin.

Some information to know:

• Some emollients are prescribed by the doctor and therefore reimbursable, but the “magistral preparations” provided by the pharmacist have a maximum shelf life of one month;
• Not all products are suitable for all skin types: it is possible to request samples to get a better idea of ​​their effectiveness;
• The job is done after the shower;
• The use is daily: the regularity of its use every day guarantees its greatest utility;
• In practice, the emollient is heated in his hands and it is spread over the area concerned by proceeding with small, slow and regular massages;
• It is used between seizures. It is not a treatment for the eczema flare-up (a local topical corticosteroid will be prescribed by the doctor in the simple flare-ups).

Again, eczema is an individual chronic inflammatory disease that is not contagious.

The suffering of those affected is:

• physical (infected forms are very painful);
• psychological (especially in adolescence, difficulties in romantic relationships and fear of scars);
• social: facial lesions and scratching deter some ignorant people from approaching “eczematous” patients thinking they are contagious.
  

All the more reasons to minimize the discomfort inherent in this disease and the use of emollients which delay flare-ups and make them less painful is strongly recommended.